# NCE vs NCE Pocket Study

NCE and NCE Pocket Study both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 89% of NCE Pocket Study's written reviews are positive against 18% of NCE's. NCE Pocket Study also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months). NCE's advantage is ratings volume (393 vs 83) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NCE sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month and NCE Pocket Study sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for NCE against 4.7 for NCE Pocket Study. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 393 and 83 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 18% of NCE's written reviews are positive against 89% of NCE Pocket Study's.

NCE ships an update every 3 months, NCE Pocket Study every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NCE | NCE Pocket Study |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (393 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nce-counselor-exam-practice/id1584526759/reviews) | **[4.7 (83 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nce-pocket-study/id6633433772/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **393** | 83 |
| Positive reviews | 18.2% of reviews | **89.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 36 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MastrAPI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618627725) | [Pocket Study LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1841630256) |

## What reviewers say

### NCE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nce-counselor-exam-practice/id1584526759)

Prepare for the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and CPCE with a personalized study plan. Practice with over 500 questions, track your progress, and compare your scores to the community average to boost your confidence and pass your exam on the first try.

**Highlights:** Personalized study plan, 500+ practice questions, Topic-based learning, Strength and weakness tracking, Detailed test statistics, Community score comparison

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly with Trial | $24.99 | per month |
| Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Incredibly helpful app
- 💡 Great explanations when answering questions
- 📊 Insightful data for tracking growth
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Provides proper preparation for tests

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ Poorly written questions
- ❌ Difficult to understand questions
- ❌ Bad grammar and syntax
- ❌ Redundant questions
- ❌ Confusing explanations

**Reported bugs**

- App will not open
- App Support link doesn't work
- Inaccurate pass rate prediction
- App doesn't work
- Free trial blocks content

**Requested features**

- More varied questions
- More categories of questions
- Implementation of creating sections (e.g., career counseling, research, group therapy) to review and display progress in each section
- Progress tracking similar to Duolingo


### NCE Pocket Study

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nce-pocket-study/id6633433772)

Prepare for the National Counselor Examination with a comprehensive question bank and detailed explanations. Master key counseling domains and track your progress with realistic practice scenarios and an exam simulator. Gain confidence for licensure.

**Highlights:** 10,000+ NCE prep questions, Detailed explanation for each question, Aligned with NBCC domains, Real-life scenario-based questions, Smart progress tracking, NCE Exam simulator, Bookmark incorrect questions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly NCE Exam Prep 2026 | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly NCE Prep | $24.99 | per month |
| NCE Exam Prep 1M Intro Plan | $24.99 | per month |
| Quarterly NCE Prep Pocket Study | $49.99 | per 3 months |
| NCE Exam Prep 3M Intro Plan | $49.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly NCE Study App Plan | $149.99 | per year |
| Yearly NCE Study App Intro Plan | $149.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Detailed explanations for answers
- 👍 Easy to navigate interface
- 🚀 Efficient study tool
- 👍 User-friendly
- 👍 Helpful for NCE exam prep

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Subscription issues
- 🐛 Weekly subscription requires re-purchase
- 🐛 Daily tests do not always refresh
- 🐛 Questions seem to repeat
- 🐛 Interface settings not functioning

**Reported bugs**

- Constantly prompts to subscribe
- Daily tests do not refresh
- App requires frequent updates
- Questions repeat
- Interface settings not functioning

**Requested features**

- Allow access to questions after subscription cancellation
- Fix subscription management for weekly plans


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NCE free?

NCE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is NCE Pocket Study free?

NCE Pocket Study is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, NCE or NCE Pocket Study?

NCE Pocket Study is rated higher. NCE averages 4.6 out of 5 from 393 ratings, while NCE Pocket Study averages 4.7 from 83 ratings.

### Do NCE or NCE Pocket Study have ads?

Neither NCE nor NCE Pocket Study shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NCE or NCE Pocket Study?

NCE ships an update every 3 months, and NCE Pocket Study every 9 days. Most recently, NCE was updated on November 3, 2026 and NCE Pocket Study on November 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*